Abstract
In general, at least 100 tools and jigs have to be prepared in one orthopedic surgery, because the tools and the jigs with optimum shapes for each patient are needed for the better operation. Most orthopedic surgical tools and jigs are repeatedly used, and so the removal of burr, scratch and rust on the surface of the tools is carried out after the operation. This finishing process takes a long time which leads to high cost. In this study a new finishing method by large-area electron beam irradiation is proposed. In this method, EB with high energy density can be attained without focusing the beam, and large-area EB can be used for melting or evaporating the metal surface instantly. Some kinds of stainless steel for orthopedic surgical tools were examined using the large-area EB irradiation method. The experimental results made it clear that high efficient surface finishing of stainless steels was possible by the large-area EB irradiation.
